Can Denver Nuggets become a dynasty? It's not so easy.
The Denver Nuggets opened the season with a convincing 119-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers as they raised the banner of last season's championship amid discussion about the team's chances for a repeat.
Fans are all about it. The wider NBA world? Well, not so much.
"I'm like everybody in Denver. I don't understand why we don't get more love," said former coach George Karl.
Television broadcasts have been known to give robust attention to the Lakers and a bit of shade to the Nuggets. A promo graphic for the start of the season on TNT had four players on it. Nikola Jokic? Nope. No Nuggets on there.
"That's absurd," said Karl. "And then the national media, it's kind of disrespectful," he added. "It's actually disrespectful to the guy that loves the game of basketball."
That's because of the strength of the Nuggets team around Jokic.
"Jokic loves to play with good players and he makes the team work," Karl continued. "There's not a lot of ego of this team."
Part of the reality is that Denver is the 16th largest television market in the country. Some of the traditional dynasty teams like the Lakers, Bulls and Celtics are in top markets with bigger populations. The San Antonio Spurs were a dominant team in the early 2000s but don't always come up on the dynasty team list, notes Karl.
But one championship does not a dynasty make. If Denver repeats -- talk may commence. Denver as a growing city could well become that, said Karl.
"So why not Denver?" he asked. "I don't think the big markets have an advantage. They have a money advantage they have a TV advantage; they may have a brand advantage. But it's minimal."
